Bengaluru, Apr 17 (IANS): With just a week left before the much-anticipated Khelo India University Games 2021 kicks off in Bengaluru, the excitement in the hockey circles is palpable as the top eight teams gear up for the action which gets underway at the Field Marshal KM Cariappa Hockey Stadium.

Former India hockey star VR Raghunath believes this is a great platform for aspiring hockey players, particularly those in the Under-21 age group to showcase their talent and get recognised.

"I feel this is a very good platform that the government of India is providing for budding players, especially those who are between 17 to 21 years of age," said Raghunath, double Olympian and drag-flick specialist.

"They must utilise this opportunity to get recognised and their performance at the Khelo India University Games will definitely be closely followed by their respective state units who are scouting players for their state teams for Junior and Senior National Championships from where players get selected for National camp. With the Khelo India Games, a good ecosystem for sports is being created," he said.

Speaking about the competition he expects to witness at the upcoming Khelo India University Games 2021, Raghunath said, "Teams from Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and even Karnataka, which has two teams, will bring their best players. With only the top eight teams entering the tournament, I feel the competition will be quite close as at least five teams are on part with each other."

Raghunath, who also closely works with Hockey Karnataka and represents the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), said that good performance in Khelo India will help players get jobs with PSUs (Public Sector).

"I think Khelo India University Games is now part of recognised events for jobs under sports quota. Finishing on the podium will definitely hold good for their future prospects and I wish all the teams taking part the very best and I am looking forward to some good hockey in the coming days at Khelo India University Games, Bengaluru," Raghunath concluded.

Over 4,500 participants from around 190 universities will vie for top honours in 20 disciplines at the Khelo India University Games hosted by Jain University in Bengaluru from April 24 to May 3, 2022. This will be the largest mass-participation national-level sporting event being held post-pandemic.